Trucks carry a bulk of the goods within the United States. Driver's have a difficult lifestyle in which they spend much of their time within the cab and sleeper of their over the road tractor trailers. The truck becomes their home away from home. One issue concerning driver satisfaction is the loneliness of traveling across the country without companionship. One solution to this would be to for drivers to be accompanied by their pet dogs. Pet Friendly Trucking would better accommodate the needs of a truck driver traveling with a pet. Companionship of a pet addresses issues such as driver boredom, loneliness, security, and health thus making the truck more like home. There is a need for an integrated environment that would maintain the communication between the pet and the driver while improving the safety of both. No system currently available maintains pet mobility, while protecting the driver from distraction by keeping the pet at a safe distance.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society, there are currently no laws restricting pet travel in moving vehicles, except for California's new law requiring seat belts for pets, and the prohibition of pets traveling in the flat bed of a truck. These societies both ask only that the pet be restrained when the vehicle is moving and that the truck driver take proper care of the animal. Further, they reason that the pet is probably better off in the truck with the driver than at home alone. This solution of this invention addresses pet restraint, pet and driver safety, storage, entertainment, and odors.